Auckland partners with New Zealand Tech Companies on
Recruitment Campaign at DeveloperWeek 2017
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) announced today that they have partnered with Immigration New Zealand and Auckland technology businesses at DeveloperWeek 2017 in San Francisco to attract skilled talent to the region.
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Auckland’s thriving economy and booming tech sector have resulted in skill shortages that are holding back growth. Companies are looking to fill immediate openings such as project managers, web developers and software engineers in a variety of fields. ATEED is Auckland’s economic growth agency and works with Auckland businesses and central and local government to promote the city as a place for talent to live and work.
“Auckland’s Tech sector has seen growth in GDP of nearly 26% in the past five years which has resulted in a skills shortage,” says Pam Ford, ATEED’s head of international partnerships and trade. “We have a fast-growing number of dynamic, globally-focused employers who are looking for workers, especially in IT, where developers, tech analysts, business analysts and project managers are in very high demand.”
With a strong and increasingly specialized manufacturing core supported by a talented and globally focused service sector, Auckland has moved toward a more service oriented and innovation focused economy, experiencing an average economic growth rate of 3.3 percent annually since 2010.
The city contributes over a third of New Zealand’s GDP and serves as a gateway to New Zealand and major markets in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2016, The World Bank named New Zealand ‘the best country to do business in.’
“Auckland is committed to long-term investment in supporting a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and making the region an innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific,” continues Ford. “Projects like the GridAKL innovation precinct and the AR/VR Garage showcase the enterprise that is part of Auckland’s DNA, and essential in enabling us to be globally competitive for investment and talent.”
GridAKL at Wynyard Quarter is Auckland’s most recently developed waterfront precinct which showcases the region’s thriving innovation. GridAKL is the centrepiece of the innovation corridor which is taking shape from north to south across the Auckland region.
The AR/VR Garage was launched in September 2016 in partnership with Datacom and Microsoft to provide augmented and virtual reality start-ups moving to Auckland with a landing pad to build their business, connect with the right networks, and to promote their businesses globally. The unique facility features a project R&D workspace for resident specialist companies, access to cutting-edge tools and technology, collaboration for start-ups to meet with established companies and an event hub. For more information, visit www.arvrgarage.nz.
Successfully attracting and retaining skilled talent to Auckland is a focus of the Auckland Regional Partnership Agreement (ARPA) between ATEED, Auckland Council and Immigration New Zealand. ARPA also includes joint sector engagement with key business and industry stakeholders.
Joining ATEED at DeveloperWeek are Industry Connect, an ICT Training organization that aims to make participants job-ready, Xero, a global SaaS company with offices in New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore, and Vista Group, the world leader in cinema management software with installations in cinemas in 70+ countries and comprising nine businesses in total that provide software, online or creative solutions to the global film industry.
Evan Bateup, Vista group director of HR says “Vista is a high growth company with a matching annual increase in staff. Our largest business Vista Entertainment Solutions, head-quartered in Auckland NZ, is disadvantaged by a limited tech sector skill-set here; that reality coupled with our insistence that we attract the brightest talent means that Vista is already a United Nations environment and we will continue to recruit from offshore. There is also the work/lifestyle balance that New Zealand offers; we are after all, currently #1 in the world for recommended places to visit! That aside, DeveloperWeek is a fantastic opportunity for us.”
Duncan Ritchie, Xero chief product officer says “New Zealand’s tech industry is booming. At Xero we crossed a major threshold last year with our move to AWS to enable us to scale to millions of customers. This means our developers can have it all – have the lifestyle New Zealand can offer and build a world class career using AI and machine learning to innovate at a rapid pace.”
Known for its safety, diversity and spectacular natural beauty, Auckland was rated the third Most Livable City in the World in 2016. With over 120 international flights daily and 330 international flights weekly, it’s easy to connect with family, friends and business contacts throughout the world. For more information on living and working in Auckland, visit www.smartmoveauckland.com.
ATEED will be at the DeveloperWeek 2017 Expo at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero Monday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 14 in Booth 134, and at the Hiring Mixer on February 13. Please visit www.aucklandnz.com/business/developer-week-2017 for more information on Auckland and partnering companies.
